Penninkmeijer 1 - Winter 2012

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The Penninkmeijer Family
Frederik is 57, Bianca is 52, Jack and Lawrence are 17, Gabriëlle and Laura are 10 and Morgan is 6

Lawrence: When you look at the house like this, it's almost unbelievable that it was little more than a dump when mom and dad moved in. The house today looks nice, it almost makes me want to stay here forever.
Almost, but not quite. I want to go to university. I even have dreams about it at night. I really want to go, and not only because dad wants all his children to go to university, it's a nice bonus to do something good in dad's eyes, but because I want so much out of this life, and university is one way to do so.
Jack wants to go to university as well, although I don't know his reasons, and I don't think I want to know them. He's a strange man, my brother. We don't look a like at all. He's all about girls, and like to brag about them, but never brings one home, while I like men, and never told anyone. He is not interested in anything that has something to do with school, while I'm always find a way to enrich myself!
Mom loves to have us all at home. She adores the weekends, because that means that the whole family is home. She also loves dad, he's the love of her life she keeps telling, sometimes I don't get that, I see dad as a harsh man, always busy with work, but at other moments, when I see them together, I can see what mom ever saw in him, and I wish I will one day find a love like that.
The weekends also mean study-time. During the day dad doesn't want us to go out or have friends over. If it were up to him, it would we like that the whole weekend, but mom made an agreement that that regime would only be on one day. The other day we are free to do what we want.
It's not only Jack and I who have to study. The girls are also put to work, but they don't seem to mind though.
The only one not having to do something it Morgan, but he's only 6, so nobody can really get mad about that. Mom tries to keep him busy so he doesn't disturb us; she reads to him or playes videogames with him.
Ever since dad gotten his last promotion, and reached the top of his career, he has been more relaxed, not so focussed on his work anymore, but he's not thinking about retirement at all! Even though he's more relaxed, I have the feeling he doesn't know what to do with his spare time.
At the end of the weekend there were some changes ahaed. Gabriëlle and Laura became 11, so we had a double birthdayparty. Mom was a little bit sad that Catherine couldn't come, but she's too busy with univerisity.
The other thing that caused some changes in the house was Jack and I leaving for university. Dad brought us in his new car. It would have been great if Jack or I were allowed to drive, we both begged dad for it, but it was no. Anyway, Jack is majoring in literature and I'm majoring in drama.

Note: The Penninkmeijers made a lot of changes to the house since they first moved in, this is how the house looked when they moved in, inside there was no flooring, or wall-covering.